Backer: Anyone using this? How do you mark files?
Rick Savoia
Well, I was just at the Danmere website and looked at the info they
had for Backer. It wasn't too detailed but had some information on
requirements and specs. I have some questions for anyone who is using
this though.
Are you using it with Win95?
Can you do a complete backup and restore with Win95 and Backer?
Does the software do incremental backups?
How do you restore? The web site info wasn't very clear on that.
It seemed to say that you fast forward the tape looking for an
index number and when you find it, that's the location of the file
you want. Is that the case?
I have an extra VCR with Video in/out ports on it. All I need is a
cable to connect to the Backer card, correct?
Can I just take the VCR, connect it to Backer and pop in a tape and
I'm off and running? Who starts the tape? Do I have to sit there
and hit 'record' and 'return' at the same time?
Any answers would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Rick
way...@worldnet.att.net
Backer works great and is very inexpensive. I got mine directly from
England and it cost $60 (for the ISA card and software), $9 (for the
cable) and a few dollars for the shipping. I believe the above prices
are correct but I may be off a dollar or two.
I bought this to see if it would work for some friends of mine. I
have 8mm and 4mm tape backups (2 Exabyte 8mm drives and 1 HP DDS-2
1533a 4mm drive and 1 WangDAT 3200 DDS 4mm drive). I have also used
in the past QIC drives in various sizes.
I was a little confused at first about how the Backer actually works
but I had it up in running in about 15 minutes (that is, from plugging
in the ISA card to installing the software and doing a backup). After
doing a few small backups to see how the software works I quickly
learned how to use the software without problems.
I am very impressed with Backer! It works and for a person on a
budget or anyone for that matter it is a cheap way to make a backup.
I guess the only reason it hasn't taken the world by storm is that it
is so inexpensive that no major wholesaler or retailer wants to get
involved with it as there is little money to be made on the product.
If it were advertised it would be everywhere (but it would be more
expensive because of th advertising cost).
I suggest using a new VCR tape to avoid errors and to use a good VCR
which doesn't have dirty heads. I used a Sony 4 head VCR. I
understand you can use BetaMax, etc. as well but haven't tried it. I
will probably experiment with an older cheap VCRand a worn used VCR
tape just to see how good the error correcting software etc. is that
Backer uses (I am impressed by what I saw from my backups--I got NO
errors and recorded over the same new tape several times to see what
would happen--perfect backups and restores). I have had worse results
from my 4mm and 8mm uses: bad tapes, bad media, etc.
The backup is actually done with the Backer software (it works in 95
and Win 3.xx etc.). You run the Backer software and select what you
want to back up. The software tells you the steps to take one by one.
That is, you make your selection of files or backup everything (which
for me was not possible as I have several non-Win/DOS operating
systems and 23 gigs of hard drive space). The software builds a file
list and assigns a number to a file. You use that number to restore
that single file if you want that single file only. If you want the
entire backup session restored you simply find that particular backup
and restore it. The best way to use the software is in conjunction
with a television set (though you can do the same thing on your
monitor screen). I have my VCR plugged into the Backer card on my PC
and into a TV in the same room (everyone has a spare TV some place--or
get a cheap black and white). If you have the TV on during the back
up and are in direct line mode (as opposed to cable or antenna) you
can see the Backer in action. It shows on the bottom of the TV screen
the number of the file you are backing up at the time. Backer also
places a header on the session so you can tell which session you are
backing or restoring. If you use the common method of indexing a
video tape to know where a particular segment you have recorded is
located on a tape, you can do the same thing with your Backer tapes
and index the sessions. Thus to restore a single file you can go to
the session indexed and then use the VCR search and fast forward
controls to locate the number of the file. Scan backward to just
before the number you want and then put the VCR in play when prompted
to do so by the Backer software and retrieve the file.
Don't worry about when to push return and record, the Backer software
prompts you for all of that. It is straight forward when you use the
software.
I have no connection with Backer at all, but why pay $25 to $30 or
more for QIC tapes when you can get VCR tapes so cheap and everyone
has a VCR who has a computer. I use my Backer to put updates etc. on
a tape for my nephew who doesn't have a 4mm or 8mm tape drive (too
expensive!). He uses his Backer to retrieve the updates, etc. It has
saved me a lot of time as I no longer have to pack up a hard drive and
carry it over to his house and connect it to the parallel port to put
the software on his drive! He can do this for himself and all I have
to do is make him a tape.
All the best,
Virgil Medlin, Ph.D.